Train or private transfer?
By train the quick part is Rome to Naples: on a weekday there are more than 30 direct Frecciarossa trains from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale between 07:00 and 20:00, the fastest in 1 hour 13 minutes. Fares change with demand: on 17 September 2026, tickets for a weekday in early October went from €18.90 to €58 (Trenitalia).
From Naples the coast is a second journey: the NLG ferry from Molo Beverello to Positano from April to early November (about 1 hour 35 minutes, €32), or the Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento and then the SITA bus. The other way in is Salerno, with about 16 direct Frecciarossa trains from Roma Termini between 07:00 and 20:00, then the Travelmar ferry, which sails all year: 35 minutes to Amalfi (€12) and 70 minutes to Positano (€17).
Each change means carrying the luggage between station, port and bus stop. A private transfer drives you from your address in Rome, or from Fiumicino Airport, to your hotel on the coast. The price is per vehicle, so a family or a group travelling together shares one fare.
